World War II era machinegun found

Australian police have seized a World War II era machine gun during a traffic stop 100km (60 miles) north of Sydney. Officers searched a car on the Central Coast of New South Wales on June 25 and found an MP40 sub-machine gun plus 60 rounds of ammunition. A 40-year-old man, who was a passenger in the car, has been charged with possessing a prohibited firearm. Police said he was refused bail and would appear at Wyong Local Court on Monday.

MP40

The MP 40 (Maschinenpistole 40) was a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. The weapon was developed in Nazi Germany, which produced more than a million during the war.

Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its predecessor the MP 38, it was heavily used by infantrymen, paratroopers, platoon and squad leaders on the Eastern and Western Front. Its advanced and modern features made it a favourite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often erroneously called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, despite Hugo Schmeisser's non-involvement in the weapon's design and production. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke (German weapons manufacturer).

Analysis

New South Wales police are performing a forensic exam in order to determine whether the weapon can be linked to other incidents. Anyone who is interested in Germany army history or the second World War would recognize this weapon immediately.

Australia's strict gun control laws require that all firearms be registered and that people who use them have a license to do so.

Last week, the country initiated a national gun amnesty in response to growing terrorism threats and the flow of illicit firearms across its borders. Anyone found with prohibited weapons can face up to 14 years in prison or fined up to $200,000 (Australian dollars).

There have been no mass shootings in Australia since the 1996 amnesty. In 1996, a similar tragedy went into effect in response to shootings in Port Arthur, Tasmania, that led to 35 deaths. The gun crimes dropped quickly after destroying 650,000 firearms in that attack.

The weapon will undergo a forensic examination to determine if it was linked to any shooting incidents

Assessment

Our assessment is that, MP 40 is a highly potent weapon and was also souvenired during the war by Allied soldiers. Is it unusual for Australian soldiers to bring them home as a keepsake? There have been reports of Neo-Nazi ideology being spread across the world. Only further investigations will show whether the owner of this gun also professed to such extremist ideology or was it a trophy from his ancestors?